Hideous Men + Milton Melvin Croissant III

The less-is-more idea works for this three-song split between Laser Palace proprietors Kristi Schaefer and Ryan McRyhew as Hideous Men and frequent collaborator Milton Melvin Croissant III, with a quick but deep look into some gorgeous electronic landscaping. Hideous Men's rave-ish throwback "Sirens" works off a humbleness in Schaefer's vocals, injecting realness into the old idea of the vacant trance anthem. But that's not to say that the sounds surrounding her diva moments are empty: Multi-instrumentalist McRyhew carries the love song away with modular-synth sincerity. MMCIII's side of the cassette is purely atmospheric, a step away from his usual DIY-Springsteen style. "Starcraftz" bubbles like a rainforest sound machine from one of those nature stores of a shopping mall's past, soothing and gurgling into relaxed oblivion. Croissant is also the artist behind the split's cover — an homage to three-dimensional clothing worn by the Sims of yore.